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New UNESCO-Library of Congress pact puts rare materials on Internet for public

New UNESCO-Library of Congress pact puts rare materials on Internet for public

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The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United States Library of Congress today signed a pact paving the way for the creation of a World Digital Library which will digitize rare materials from libraries and other cultural institutions globally and make them available free on the Internet.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United States Library of Congress today signed a pact paving the way for the creation of a World Digital Library which will digitize rare materials from libraries and other cultural institutions globally and make them available free on the Internet.

Manuscripts, maps, books, musical scores, sound recordings, films, prints and photographs will all be available online thanks to the agreement signed at UNESCO's Paris Headquarters by the agency's Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, Abdul Waheed Khan, and the Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington.

The agency said in a news release that the prototype for the initiative was developed by the Library of Congress and UNESCO with five other partner institutions: Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the National Library of Egypt, the National Library of Brazil, the National Library of Russia, and the Russian State Library.

The prototype functions in the UN's six official languages – Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish – as well as in Portuguese. It features search and browse by place, time, topic, and contributing institution.

“We are very pleased to build on the excellent partnership that we have long enjoyed with the Library of Congress to work in innovative ways to preserve and make accessible the memory of the world,” said UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura.

“We look forward to continuing and deepening our collaboration with UNESCO,” said Mr Billington, “and to working with the Organization and its staff to ensure that libraries, archives, and museums from around the world join with us in making their cultural treasures accessible online."

A key aspect of the project is to build digital library capabilities in developing countries, so that all countries and all regions can participate and be represented in the World Digital Library, UNESCO said.